Skip to main content
Log in

Combined analysis of clinical features, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) value, and hCG ratios for early prediction of postmolar gestational trophoblastic neoplasia

  • Gynecologic Oncology
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate factors predicting postmolar gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) by combined analysis of clinical features, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) value, and hCG ratios.

Methods

This retrospective study enrolled patients with histopathologically proven molar pregnancy. Patients lost to follow-up before remission or developing postmolar GTN were excluded. Demographic and clinical characteristics and hCG data obtained before and after molar evacuation were collected. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) analysis was used to identify the hCG and hCG ratio cutoff values that predict postmolar GTN. Multivariate analysis was employed to identify independent predictors of GTN.

Results

There were 113 complete moles, 11 partial moles, and 52 unspecified moles included in the final analysis. Of the 176 cases, 90 achieved remission and 86 developed post-molar GTN. The incidence of postmolar GTN was 48.9%, with a median time to GTN development of 5 weeks. Univariate analysis showed age, molar evacuation performed elsewhere, pre-evacuation hCG, hCG at 2nd week post-evacuation, and ratio of hCG at 2nd week post-evacuation to post-evacuation hCG significantly predict GTN. Multivariate analysis revealed an hCG value ≥ 1400 IU/L at 2nd week post-evacuation (AUC: 0.92, aOR: 6.51, 95% CI 1.28–33.16; p = 0.024) and a ratio of hCG at 2nd week post-evacuation to post-evacuation hCG of ≥ 0.02 (AUC: 0.88, aOR: 12.27, 95% CI 2.15–70.13; p = 0.005) to independently predict GTN.

Conclusions

An hCG value ≥ 1400 IU/L at 2nd week post-evacuation and a ratio of hCG at 2nd week post-evacuation to post-evacuation hCG of ≥ 0.02 independently and reliably predict postmolar GTN.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Altieri A, Franceschi S, Ferlay J, Smith J, La Vecchia C (2003) Epidemiology and aetiology of gestational trophoblastic diseases. Lancet Oncol 4:670–678

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Asmar FTC, Braga-Neto AR, de Rezende-Filho J, Villas-Boas JMS, Charry RC, Maesta I (2017) Uterine artery Doppler flow velocimetry parameters for predicting gestational trophoblastic neoplasia after complete hydatidiform mole, a prospective cohort study. Clinics 72:284–288

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Ayhan A, Tuncer ZS, Halilzade H, Kucukali T (1996) Predictors of persistent disease in women with complete hydatidiform mole. J Reprod Med 41:591–594

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bagshawe KD, Dent J, Webb J (1986) Hydatidiform mole in England and wales 1973–83. Lancet 2:673–677

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Bakhtiyari M, Mirzamoradi M, Kimyaiee P, Aghaie A, Mansournia MA, Ashrafi-Vand S, Sarfjoo FS (2015) Postmolar gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: beyond the traditional risk factors. Fertil Steril 104:649–654

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Berkowitz RS, Im SS, Bernstein MR, Goldstein DP (1998) Gestational trophoblastic disease. subsequent pregnancy outcome, including repeat molar pregnancy. J Reprod Med 43:81–86

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Berkowitz RS, Goldstein DP (2009) Clinical practice. molar pregnancy. N Engl J Med 360:1639–1645

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Berkowitz RS, Goldstein DP (2009) Current management of gestational trophoblastic diseases. Gynecol Oncol 112:654–662

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Berkowitz RS, Goldstein DP (2013) Current advances in the management of gestational trophoblastic disease. Gynecol Oncol 128:3–5

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Braga A, Maesta I, Rocha Soares R, Elias KM, Custodio Domingues MA, Barbisan LF, Berkowitz RS (2016) Apoptotic index for prediction of postmolar gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. Am J Obstet Gynecol 215(336):331–336

    Google Scholar 

  11. Cavoretto P, Cioffi R, Mangili G, Petrone M, Bergamini A, Rabaiotti E, Valsecchi L, Candiani M, Seckl MJ (2020) A pictorial ultrasound essay of gestational trophoblastic disease. J Ultrasound Med Off J Am Inst Ultrasound Med 39:597–613

    Google Scholar 

  12. Committee FO (2000) FIGO staging for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, 2000 FIGO oncology committee. Int J Gynaecol Obstet Off Organ Intern Fed Gynaecol Obstet 77(3):285–287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Diver EJ, Horowitz NS, Goldstein DP, Bernstein M, Berkowitz RS, Growdon WB (2016) Timing of referral to the New England trophoblastic disease center: does referral with molar pregnancy versus postmolar gestational trophoblastic neoplasia affect outcomes? J Reprod Med 61:187–191

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Elias KM, Shoni M, Bernstein M, Goldstein DP, Berkowitz RS (2012) Complete hydatidiform mole in women aged 40 to 49 years. J Reprod Med 57:254–258

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Garavaglia E, Gentile C, Cavoretto P, Spagnolo D, Valsecchi L, Mangili G (2009) Ultrasound imaging after evacuation as an adjunct to beta-hCG monitoring in posthydatidiform molar gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. Am J Obstet Gynecol 200(417):e411-415

    Google Scholar 

  16. Hasanzadeh M, Sharifi N, Esmaieli H, Daloee MS, Tabari A (2013) Immunohistochemical expression of the proliferative marker Ki67 in hydatidiform moles and its diagnostic value in the progression to gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. J Obstet Gynaecol Res 39:572–577

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Hoeijmakers YM, Eysbouts YK, Massuger L, Dandis R, Inthout J, van Trommel NE, Ottevanger PB, Thomas CMG, Sweep F (2021) Early prediction of post-molar gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and resistance to methotrexate, based on a single serum human chorionic gonadotropin measurement. Gynecol Oncol 163:531–537

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Jeffers MD, O’Dwyer P, Curran B, Leader M, Gillan JE (1993) Partial hydatidiform mole: a common but underdiagnosed condition. A 3-year retrospective clinicopathological and DNA flow cytometric analysis. Intern J Gynecol Pathol Off J Intern Soc Gynecol Pathol 12:315–323

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Kang WD, Choi HS, Kim SM (2012) Prediction of persistent gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: the role of hCG level and ratio in 2 weeks after evacuation of complete mole. Gynecol Oncol 124:250–253

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Khoo SK, Baartz D, Sidhu M, Yip WL, Tripcony L (2009) Analysis of risk factors for persistent gestational trophoblastic disease. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol 49:657–659

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Kim BW, Cho H, Kim H, Nam EJ, Kim SW, Kim S, Kim YT, Kim JH (2012) Human chorionic gonadotrophin regression rate as a predictive factor of postmolar gestational trophoblastic neoplasm in high-risk hydatidiform mole: a case-control study. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 160:100–105

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Kim SJ, Na YJ, Jung SG, Kim CJ, Bae SN, Lee C (2007) Management of high-risk hydatidiform mole and persistent gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: the Korean experience. J Reprod Med 52:819–830

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Lybol C, Sweep FC, Ottevanger PB, Massuger LF, Thomas CM (2013) Linear regression of post-evacuation serum human chorionic gonadotropin concentrations predicts postmolar gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. Intern J Gynecol Cancer Off J Intern Gynecol Cancer Soc 23:1150–1156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Menczer J, Schreiber L, Berger E, Golan A, Levy T (2007) Assessment of Her-2/neu expression in hydatidiform moles for prediction of subsequent gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. Gynecol Oncol 104:675–679

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Mousavi AS, Karimi S, Modarres Gilani M, Akhavan S, Rezayof E (2014) Does post-evacuation beta -human chorionic gonadotropin level predict the persistent gestational trophoblastic neoplasia? ISRN Obstet Gynecol 2014:494695

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Ngan HYS, Seckl MJ, Berkowitz RS, Xiang Y, Golfier F, Sekharan PK, Lurain JR, Massuger L (2018) Update on the diagnosis and management of gestational trophoblastic disease. Intern J Gynaecol Obstet Off Organ Intern Fed Gynaecol Obstet 143(Suppl 2):79–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Palmer JR (1994) Advances in the epidemiology of gestational trophoblastic disease. J Reprod Med 39:155–162

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Sun P, Wu Q, Ruan G, Zheng X, Song Y, Zhun J, Wu L, Gotlieb WH (2016) Expression patterns of maspin and mutant p53 are associated with the development of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. Oncol Lett 12:3135–3142

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  29. Vanichtantikul A, Hodge KG, Somparn P, Saethang T, Triratanachat S, Pisitkun T, Lertkhachonsuk R (2019) Proteomic identification of predictive biomarkers for malignant transformation in complete hydatidiform moles. Placenta 77:58–64

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Wang Q, Fu J, Hu L, Fang F, Xie L, Chen H, He F, Wu T, Lawrie TA (2017) Prophylactic chemotherapy for hydatidiform mole to prevent gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 9:CD007289

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Wolfberg AJ, Berkowitz RS, Goldstein DP, Feltmate C, Lieberman E (2005) Post-evacuation hCG levels and risk of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia in women with complete molar pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol 106:548–552

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Yedema KA, Verheijen RH, Kenemans P, Schijf CP, Borm GF, Segers MF, Thomas CM (1993) Identification of patients with persistent trophoblastic disease by means of a normal human chorionic gonadotropin regression curve. Am J Obstet Gynecol 168:787–879

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge Miss Julaporn Pooliam for assistance with statistical analysis.

Funding

The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

CR: conceptualization, methodology, data collection, and writing (original draft); IR: writing (review and editing); ST: writing (review and editing); PI: writing (review and editing); VA: writing (review and editing); SK: writing (review and editing); KK: writing (review and editing); and, NJ: conceptualization, protocol development, methodology, data analysis, and writing (original draft, review, and editing). All authors have reviewed and are in agreement with the version of the manuscript submitted for journal publication.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nida Jareemit.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

All authors declare no personal or professional conflicts of interest, and no financial support from the companies that produce and/or distribute the drugs, devices, or materials described in this report.

Ethical approval

The study protocol was approved by the Siriraj Institutional Review Board (SIRB) of the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand (COA No. Si 167/2021).

Informed consent

Consent statement is not applicable for this retrospective study.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rakprasit, C., Ruengkhachorn, I., Therasakvichya, S. et al. Combined analysis of clinical features, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) value, and hCG ratios for early prediction of postmolar gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. Arch Gynecol Obstet 307, 1145–1154 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-022-06785-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-022-06785-w

Keywords

Navigation